You’re supposed to use your hearing aids daily. But before you recycle your milk containers, you’re supposed to wash them out too. We don’t always do what we’re supposed to. It’s the same for hearing aids. Occasionally we forget to take them with us. You might even forget to use it for more than a day.
That’s not great. Because there are several things that happen (or continue to happen) when you don’t use your hearing aids. And most of them, to be honest, aren’t good.
Effects And Repercussions of Going Without Hearing Aids
There will be repercussions of varying degrees of intensity and severity, both to your health and social life, if you don’t wear your hearing aid. The effects and repercussions of neglecting to wear your hearing aids could include the following.
Your Hearing Will Keep Diminishing
The technology of hearing aids is fairly impressive. Not only do they allow you to hear sounds that you normally wouldn’t have, but they also keep your auditory complex running smoothly (that’s the part of your brain responsible for the interpretation of sounds).
You could damage your hearing even more if, instead of using your hearing aids, you start turning the volume up on your devices even louder than they already are. Even if you’re keeping the volumes in check, issues with your brain can result from missing sensory stimuli. (It actually shrinks.) So if you don’t use your hearing aids, your hearing will most likely continue to get worse (which means you’ll need even more powerful hearing aids before long).
It Will Become More Challenging to Interact Socially
You know those short interactions you have with the cashier as you’re cashing out at the supermarket? They’re pleasant, we think. A nice little touch of humanity in a technological world.
These everyday social interactions suddenly become very hard when you don’t wear your hearing aids. You repeatedly miss parts of the conversation and have to ask people to repeat what they said. Again and again. And once that happens, the conversation just quickly falls apart. Maybe that sounds superficial, but every bit you retreat into yourself makes it that much easier for you to completely separate yourself socially. And the outcome can be even more significant.
Cognitive Decline And Hearing Aids
Your brain doesn’t get close to as much exercise when you seclude yourself. After you have a pleasant conversation with your family, think about how revitalized (or exhausted) you can feel. Certain cognitive functions can begin to decline or decline faster without this exercise. This could mean:
- Declines in productivity or energy
- Memory issues
- Depression
- Balance issues
But that’s not all. Because hearing sound is vitally important to certain parts of your brain and nervous system. Your auditory complex starts to atrophy when certain nerves begin to deteriorate from lack of stimulation. This can make it more difficult to adjust to your new hearing aids and in the worst case accelerate the cognitive decline.
Hearing aids keep your brain engaged, stimulated, and happy (for the most part).
Loss of Independence
Needing a bit more help, as you age, is not abnormal. Perhaps you ask a family member to go shopping for you or a neighbor to do some yard work. You are probably speeding up your loss of independence if you’re not wearing your hearing aids.
When you don’t use your hearing aids, it can rapidly become harder to answer the phone or have a conversation with your neighbor. You might miss important weather alerts. Maybe you don’t hear your cat meowing for food at night or your dog barking at someone ringing your doorbell.
Is There Any Solution?
No matter how technologically sophisticated hearing aids get, they won’t solve all of life’s problems. But they will solve a lot of the problems connected with not wearing your hearing aids.
You need to come see us for help if you’re having issues with your hearing aids or if they’re not comfortable.
It’s worth taking a little time to consider what the consequences will be if you avoid wearing your hearing aids and also what the advantages of using them may be.
References
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/otolaryngology/specialty_areas/hearing/faq.html
https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20140128/hearing-loss-tied-to-faster-brain-shrinkage-with-age
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation